United States and Canada + News

For Immediate Release
June 30, 2004

ST. IVES AVANTI SPEEDS UP PRODUCTION TIME, STRENGTHENS CUSTOMER COLLABORATION WITH MATCHPRINT VIRTUAL PROOFING SYSTEM


Norwalk, Connecticut, USA - St. Ives U.S. Division, a network of full service commercial printing companies, continually adds the latest advanced technology to offer customers the highest levels of quality, convenience and service. That discriminating approach led the group's Miami facility, St. Ives Avanti, to select the Kodak Polychrome Graphics Matchprint Virtual Proofing System as its monitor proofing solution.

"The ability to provide our customers with superior color accuracy and repeatability - while reducing turnaround time and associated costs — served as our most important evaluation criteria," said Cecil James, Director of Digital Prepress Services, St. Ives Avanti. "We concluded that the Matchprint Virtual Proofing system stands as the only true solution for monitor color contract proofing."

The Matchprint Virtual Proofing system enables online viewing of the many rounds of proofing that occur before a file receives approval for print. The SWOP®-certified system can be used for content, imposition and color-critical proofing, predicting press results, checking for file integrity, routing jobs for approval, and communicating print expectations.

St. Ives Avanti currently uses the Matchprint Virtual Proofing system to more quickly view, review and approve proofs of scans in its retouching workflow. According to James, monitor proofing has significantly sped up St. Ives Avanti's production time and, equally important to the customer-driven company, provides the ability to share proofs and make revisions with off site clients and partners in real time.

"To further strengthen relationships with our customers, we plan to install Matchprint Virtual Proofing systems at several customer locations. This will create a complete workflow between St. Ives Avanti, our customers and their clients, yielding unprecedented collaboration," said James. "In order to remain successful in today's marketplace, we have to find solutions that work for all of us involved with a job looking good. The Matchprint Virtual Proofing system delivers on that proposition."

"We're pleased that St. Ives Avanti chose the Matchprint Virtual Proofing system," said Rob Pipe, Business Director, Virtual Proofing, KPG. "We look forward to working with St. Ives Avanti and its customers on continuously enhancing the efficiency of their collaborative workflows and delivering the color quality that is the hallmark of St. Ives."

The Matchprint Virtual Proofing system consists of high-end, customized CRT monitors, proprietary color management technologies and the KPG RealTimeProof suite of Web-based image viewing and collaboration tools. Designed to provide the convenience and ease of use that graphic arts professionals have come to expect from digital technology, the Matchprint Virtual Proofing System is compatible with commonly used graphic arts file formats such as Scitex CT/LW, Tiff-IT, PDF, DCS, DCS II, PS, EPS and Tiff, and uses an application service provider model that is built on a secure and robust database that allows users to access files through their standard Web browsers. Proofs can be viewed and managed entirely online, including the ability to make annotations and mark-ups similar to hard-copy proofs.

About Kodak Polychrome Graphics
Kodak Polychrome Graphics provides one of the broadest portfolios of digital, conventional and business solutions available in the graphic arts industry today. Products and services include a wide range of computer-to-plate and conventional lithographic and flexographic plate products, digital halftone, virtual, inkjet, and analog proofing products, digital printing applications, color workflow tools, storage solutions, business solutions and Kodak branded graphic arts films. With headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, KPG serves customers around the globe with regional offices in the United States, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Additional information regarding Kodak Polychrome Graphics may be found on the company's website: www.kpgraphics.com.

For more information contact:

Beth Hogan Scott
Kodak Polychrome Graphics
Director of Corporate and Worldwide Marketing Communications
Norwalk, CT
203/845-7115 (phone) 203/845-7173 (fax)
hoganscotte@kpgraphics.com

Michael Doebler
Eric Mower and Associates Public Relations Services
585/389-1868 (phone) 585/385-2003 (fax)
mdoebler@eric.mower.com

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